Luciferian Doctrines of Demons
The enemy does not want you to trust God. I believe the primary way the enemy undermines our trust toward God is by disparaging His character. The devil wants to make God look bad. The goal of Luciferianism is to undermine God's character by persuading mankind to question the character and benevolence of God.
#3 in Know Your Enemy
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?””
Click to read #4 on Generational Curses and Familiar Spirits
The enemy does not want you to trust God. I believe the primary way the enemy undermines our trust toward God is by disparaging His character. The devil wants to make God look bad. The goal of Luciferianism is to undermine God's character by persuading mankind to question the character and benevolence of God.
Did God Really Say?
It started in the Garden of Eden. Let's look at what the serpent said, what Eve said, and what God actually said.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
In the first interaction between Eve and the serpent, Eve had to correct the serpent regarding what God said because the serpent twisted what God actually said in his question. This is a common tactic of the enemy to ask a question from an unbiblical basis that doesn't accurately reflect God. If you take the bait, from then on you are not standing on the Word of God but a misconception of God’s Word. I dare say many people’s beliefs are actually based on half-truths and misconceptions of what God really said.
Let's go back and see what God really said.
Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."
What do you notice? Eve added to what God said in 3:4. God didn't say "don't touch it," but when questioned by the serpent, she added her own thoughts to God's Word. Moreover, she added a legalistic tone. Rather than accepting God's warning that she would die if she ate it, she took it further and made God's decree about an even more stringent legalistic behavior. When we are struggling with God’s word we tend to perceive Him as more legalistic than He actually is.
The enemy twisted what God said, and Eve added to what God said. If you don't know what God said you'll be led astray. If you add to God's Word, it usually turns toward legalism.
As we take a closer look at the serpent's question, we see a strategy to persuade Eve to question God's character. "Did God really say?" The strength of the question was not the serpent's accusation of God but Eve's willingness to ponder the question for herself. She entertained the question and began to doubt if God really was telling her the truth.
Eve fell prey to the fiery dart but only because she doubted the character of God for herself. The seed of doubt had been planted and she cultivated it. Eve could have easily not entertained the thought and gone about her day, but she held on to it and allowed it to roll around in her heart and mind until she acted out on her doubt.
The seed of questioning the character and nature of God is still in the earth today. It is the heart of Luciferianism. To expand on the idea, adherents believe that God is an oppressive, vengeful deity who should be resisted and that the so-called fallen angels were only trying to help mankind.
This idea is repeated throughout antiquity in every ancient culture. And we still see it to this day in pop culture. For example, the book of Enoch lays out a scenario where the Watchers, a species of angel, fell from their abode by mating with human women and giving birth to a race of giants known as the Nephilim. We see this idea displayed on the big screen in movies such as Noah, starring Russell Crowe, and the more recent Marvel’s Eternals.
Luciferianism In Church
The Luciferian strategy to question the character of God remains in the earth to this day. It is clearly seen in atheism and other anti-god ideologies, but the main place I see it is tough to admit. I see the seed of questioning the character of God in pulpits across the earth.
The serpent presents the idea that God is not telling us the full truth and you can't really trust his plan. In ancient literature attributed to the Nephilim cultures such as Sumerian, Egyptian, Vedic, and Babylonian civilizations, we see that same story. The story goes like this. The creator god made mankind in an ignorant state, so angels or "gods" decided to leave their heavenly abode to bring knowledge to humans to advance their state and help them become gods for themselves. They warn that the angry, vengeful creator god sends disease and calamities to oppress mankind, and you must fight against his oppressiveness by knowing good and evil for yourself.
The remnant Nephilim perversion we see in religion today is that the creator god is experimenting on humans today. He's arbitrarily sending calamities upon mankind to keep them humble and submissive. He has a plan, but he keeps himself hidden and plays games with humanity.
The reality is that God desires mercy over judgment. He has fully revealed Himself in the person of Christ, and anything known about God must be reconciled and redefined in the person of Christ. The Old Testament accounts are true but they must be understood in light of Jesus.
I expand on these ideas in much more detail in the sermon above. I pray it is a blessing to you and helps you know the tactics of the enemy better so you can stand in the victory you already have in Christ.
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Winning Spiritual Warfare
What is spiritual warfare? Are you battling demons? Do you fight to make them obey Jesus? Do you tie them up and send them to the abyss? Or do you battle your own thoughts to believe the truth and resist the enemy?
Yes, we do wrestle with demons, but not in our own flesh and blood strength. The weapons of our warfare are not physical, they are spiritual and soulish. They are spiritual in that we stand in our authority in Christ and they are soulish because we are to put off thoughts that are in line with demonic trickery.
The way you fight or wrestle a demon is by reminding yourself who you are in Christ and being confident in Christ's power in you. You simply stand firm in your trust in the power of Christ, and the enemy must flee from you.
In no way can you fight a spiritual being, but you can stand still in peace, fully persuaded of the supremacy of Christ. Then, when your heart is confident in who Christ is in you, you will yield to his grace to strengthen you to resist the lies and deceptions the enemy brings your way.
#2 in Know Your Enemy
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
What is spiritual warfare? Are you battling demons? Do you fight to make them obey Jesus? Do you tie them up and send them to the abyss? Or do you battle your own thoughts to believe the truth and resist the enemy?
Yes, we do wrestle with demons, but not in our own flesh and blood strength. The weapons of our warfare are not physical, they are spiritual and soulish. They are spiritual in that we stand in our authority in Christ and they are soulish because we are to put off thoughts that are in line with demonic trickery.
The way you fight or wrestle a demon is by reminding yourself who you are in Christ and being confident in Christ's power in you. You simply stand firm in your trust in the power of Christ, and the enemy must flee from you.
In no way can you fight a spiritual being, but you can stand still in peace, fully persuaded of the supremacy of Christ. Then, when your heart is confident in who Christ is in you, you will yield to his grace to strengthen you to resist the lies and deceptions the enemy brings your way.
Devils can't control you, they can't make you do things against your will, period. You may allow them to deceive you to the point that you THINK they are controlling you, but that's a lie. All a demon can do is lie to you to the point that it evokes emotion in you, and you receive the deception as your own thought or desire.
Essentially they broadcast a spiritual message to you. Our hearts and minds are connected to the spiritual realm, so we can perceive these messages. The enemy will speak to you from an external position, but God speaks to you from inside of you.
The enemy watches you and broadcasts signals to you that align with your current self-destructive beliefs, fears, or delusions. The enemy broadcasts a signal, much like a radio wave, to you, and if you agree with that message, it will reinforce the lie. It's much like hypnosis or brainwashing. If a message is received enough, it will become your reality. But if the suggestion from the enemy has no place in you, meaning you are not willing to believe lies about yourself, then the message will fall flat.
How to Withstand Demonic Influence
Someone who knows their identity in Christ, is honest with themselves, and keeps their conscience clear is virtually impervious to any devil.
They're attracted to our weaknesses, specifically the identity-related issues in our hearts. But when you know how to put on your armor, put off the old man, and put on the new, you can resist any trick or strategy of the enemy, every time.
The enemy is real, he's trying to lie to you and destroy your life.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
But he is powerless if you know your identity and can stand confidently in the finished work of Christ.
How To Put On Spiritual Armor
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
This is the power you stand in, Christ in you, not you attempt to ward off a demon with fervor and emotion.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Demons are spirits, they are to be resisted with spiritual weapons.
13 Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
You don't attack, you stand. Stand in Christ as Christ stands in you. Standing includes receiving God's grace to not give in to temptation or act out in sin. Standing means to stay at peace, knowing your identity in Christ. Standing means not giving in to fear, hopelessness, darkness, depression, or anything contrary to scripture.
This is why it's so important to know what Christ accomplished in His death, burial and resurrection, so you can stand in the effects of his atoning work.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
The truth around your waist indicates balance. Allow the truth to be your center of gravity. You must always be able to pull your heart and mind back into alignment with the truth and wisdom of God as your center. Then, in the moment of a demonic episode, you simply think on and speak out what is true as it relates to who you are in Christ.
For example; "I have been delivered from the power of darkness, I have been translated into the kingdom of Christ, I am currently seated with Christ in Heaven, God is my Father, he loves me and protects me, greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world, I need have no fear for my God loves me and keeps me safe."
The breastplate guards your heart. Persuade your heart of your righteousness in Christ. If the enemy can convince you that God is angry with you or will judge you, he can evoke fear and influence you to make choices that will bring destruction.
On the other hand, if you know how to persuade your heart of your right standing in Christ amid an attack, the enemy will flee from you because his power of deception will not take root.
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel of peace.
You stand on the Gospel, meaning the good news that you have been forgiven in the blood of Christ. The enemy will always accuse you in regard to your behavior, making you question if you truly are saved. The Gospel affirms that you are if your trust is in the blood of Christ as your righteousness.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith is not what you do to get God to move, it's your response to what God has already accomplished in Christ. So to use the shield of faith is to declare who you are due to what Christ has done in you and for you. The enemy will bounce of your proclamation of your victory in Christ.
17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The helmet guards the head, or your thoughts. Remind yourself that you are saved by grace through faith alone. It's not because of your works. So if you didn't earn it through works, you can't lose it through works.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
When your spirit prays, you are opening your heart and mind to direct influence from the Spirit of the living God who dwells in you. It's like opening the door and allowing the Spirit to strengthen you as you stand. Click here for more on praying with your spirit.
Standing In Your Authority
What does it mean to stand in your identity or authority in Christ? Simply put it means to know the following truth and be persuaded of it in your heart.
For example, if you are under attack and have a bout with fear, you can hold these truths in your mind until your inner state changes and your emotions agree with these truths. It's one thing to know this information, but it becomes active in your life when you feel the truth of this reality to the point that it strengthens you with boldness.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
This is a statement of authority. You have authority in the heavenlies because you are in Christ.
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (more below) us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins
You are already in a position of higher authority than demons, and that authority protects you. It protects you because you have already been seated in that heavenly place of victory and authority.
Word Study On “Translated”
Thayer's - methistēmi - 3179
to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another
of change of situation or place
to remove from the office of a steward
to depart from life, to die
The root word is histēmi
to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set
to make firm, fix establish
meta means - with
The context of being translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of the son of God is this; you have been moved from one realm to another, and you are made to stand with Christ. That means the enemy doesn't have access to you by yourself, he must contend with the presence of God in you, which ensures your victory.
If you allow your mind to be influenced by the world, then you will become susceptible to the enemy's lies and influence. But if you keep the eyes of your heart on Christ and renew your mind with the truth of who you are spiritually, it is strength to you, and you can resist any and all tactics, strategies, and tricks of any level of devil. There is no reason ever to be afraid of the enemy, ever!
Strategies on Withstanding
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
No need to fight, simply stand firm in Christ.
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Never forget this powerful truth!!
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
This passage clearly states that the way we resist the enemy is in our thought life. We must primarily put off the old way of thinking full of hopelessness, doubt, and fear and put on the truth in our minds. This strengthens us to withstand until the enemy flee.
You do not have to make devils obey Jesus, you make your thoughts obey Jesus. More specifically, you cause your thoughts to align with what Christ was obedient to. Meaning hold in your mind the truth that Jesus hung on the cross for you, became sin for you, paid the penalty of sin for you, and then died for you. In his death, he overcame the enemy and gained the keys to all spiritual authority.
The amazing reality is Jesus now shares his authority with you. So your ultimate weapon against the enemy is Christ in you, the mighty king whom no one can overcome. In him, you are an overcomer. Your role is to become convinced of his power in you and allow it to strengthen and transform you.
There is so much to say on this topic. I look forward to giving a couple more teachings stay tuned. For more on this topic and to hear my personal story of deliverance from demonic possession, check out my book Devil Walk.
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The Origin of Demons
Why do demons exist? Where did they come from? Genesis 6 and Jude tell us that a group of fallen angels, called the Watchers, mated with human women and gave birth to a corrupt species of creature called the Nephilim. The Nephilim were giants that sought to rule and defile mankind. The Watchers taught mankind all sorts of perverse mystical secrets which eventually led to the great flood in the days of Noah. The Watchers that fell are now in chains but the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim still roam the earth today seeking to oppress and defile humanity. But Jesus had other plans.
#1 in Know Your Enemy
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Why do demons exist? Where did they come from? Genesis 6 and Jude tell us that a group of fallen angels, called the Watchers, mated with human women and gave birth to a corrupt species of being called the Nephilim. The Nephilim were giant human-like beings that sought to rule and defile mankind. The Watchers taught mankind all sorts of perverse mystical secrets which eventually led to the great flood in the days of Noah.
The Watchers that fell are now in chains but the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim still roam the earth today seeking to oppress and defile humanity. There is a rank and order to their authority in the spiritual dimensions but the good news is that Jesus has stripped them of any and all authority. They are now only equipped with deceit and trickery. If you know their origins you can be better equipped to not fall prey to their strategies and attacks.
In this article, I will start with the historical origin of these evil spirits by looking at the Bible and the Book of Enoch. While the Book of Enoch is not Biblical canon, it is referenced in the Bible and many passages from Scripture mirror the older Book of Enoch. We will regard Enoch as merely a historical record that speaks to the fall of the Watchers and the origin of the evil spirits we know as demons or devils.
In the next two articles in this series, I will go on to address what demons are doing now, how to stand in your victory in Christ regarding spiritual warfare, and how to never be afraid of or be deceived by any devil. As well as how to help others live in the deliverance from darkness we've already experienced in Christ. We'll end by talking about binding and loosing, as well as how to bring your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ as the method of enforcing the victory you already have in Christ.
The Fall of the Watchers
Genesis 6:1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
There is debate on who or what the "sons of God" are, but for our purposes, we'll classify them as Watchers, which is a higher level spiritual being. These beings must have had the capacity to manifest into our dimension and interact physically with humans. The Book of Enoch will give us insight into the nature of these beings.
Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. NKJV
It agreed within orthodox Christianity that the fallen spiritual beings that fathered the giants (Nephilim) were captured and placed into chains. The Lake of Fire, which we will see at the final judgment, was created for these beings, as well as the beast and false prophet of end times. Humans that do not accept Christ will also be cast into this "lake" at the final judgment. The state of the human soul after being cast in the lake of fire is debated as well. Whether a human experiences conscious eternal torment or is destroyed, we're not sure, but we do know there is no coming back from the Lake of Fire.
In the following passages from the Book of Enoch, we will see conversations between Enoch and the Watchers and conversations between God and Enoch. The content may be a little confusing regarding who is talking. The main point is to understand the strategies of the Watchers as well as their corrupt offspring. You will see what the Watchers taught mankind and how it corrupted us to the point of the flood.
The great flood was not solely out of God's anger toward humankind, it was an act of mercy to preserve humanity in pure form and protect the bloodline of the Messiah. Had the Watchers and Nephilim gone unchecked, all of humanity would most likely have been lost.
I will bold passages that mirror the Bible and passages that describe the strategies of the Watchers that shed light on how demons work today.
The Book of Enoch
VI 1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. 2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' 3. And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.' 4. And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations (a spoken curse) not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' 5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended ⌈in the days⌉ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.
Enoch VII 1. And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. 2. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: 3. Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, 4. the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. 5. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood. 6. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.
VIII 1. And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals 〈of the earth〉 and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. 2. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl,
IX 6. Thou seest what Azâzêl hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn: 7. And Semjâzâ, to whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates. 8. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. 9. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. 10. And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds which are wrought on the earth. 11. And Thou knowest all things before they come to pass, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl, [paragraph continues](taught) astrology, Kôkabêl the constellations, Ezêqêêl the knowledge of the clouds, 〈Araqiêl the signs of the earth, Shamsiêl the signs of the sun〉, and Sariêl the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . .
X 8. And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azâzêl: to him ascribe all sin.'
XV 8. And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. 9. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; ⌈they shall be evil spirits on earth, and⌉ evil spirits shall they be called. [10. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] 11. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, ⌈but nevertheless hunger⌉ and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded ⌈from them⌉.
The Corruption of the Giants
Isn't that amazing? To see it spelled out so clearly where these evil spirits (demons) came from? We see from the beginning that these evil spirits sought to corrupt, defile, and oppress mankind. They are still trying to do the same things today. They set themselves up as gods and kings over man when in bodily form, and they're still trying to do it now in spiritual form. They are actually trying to hijack mankind's authority through deception, but more on that in weeks to come.
I believe they are trying to separate us from God in our hearts by teaching us to be dependent on creation, hence their teaching mankind mystical secrets, astrology, root cutting, and all the other stuff. Through the use of plants and root cuttings we know from antiquity these methods were used for psychedelic and mystical purposes.
It is believed that through these chemicals and rituals, they taught humans to see into the spiritual realm and misuse their God-given authority to manipulate the created realm. It was a deception because mankind already has dominion over creation. They wanted us to use our authority to either over-throw God and render him useless in the created realm because of the mystery knowledge they could teach mankind.
We will see this today in New Age and demonic religion practices. We're even seeing a surge in the use of psychedelics like DMT and ayahuasca, which I believe is designed to deceive its users, making them think they are gods. Or at least don't need God because they can reach spiritually enlightened on their own through these substances and the experience they generate. But Jesus ruined their plans.
Our Authority in Christ
Jesus stripped them of any spiritual authority they had. Each being has a certain kind of authority, spiritual beings have levels of authority in the spiritual realm, while humans have authority over the earthly realm. Humans never lost our authority to the devil, we just didn't know the authority we had. Jesus came along and stripped the fallen beings of their authority and claimed it for himself. In fact, Jesus now has all authority.
Humans still have dominion over the earthly realm, but now through Christ, we also share in his authority. Meaning we have authority over all created beings, physical or spiritual. So demons, or any other kind of evil being or spirit, can not touch us legally. When we make mistakes, it does not give devils the right to attack us because Jesus has all rights and authority.
We may be deceived and fall prey to the enemy's strategies through ignorance or unbelief, but they never have the right to attack you or mess with your life. The following passage from Colossians 2 reveals that we have been delivered from the power of darkness, we are new creatures in Christ and the enemy has no authority over us.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
To make a public spectacle refers to a ritual when one king conquered another king's army. It is said the conquering king would strip the losing king naked and cut off his thumbs and big toes. He cut off the thumbs and toes so the losing king could never again hold a sword or run in battle. He would drag the conquered behind his horse through the villages of the defeated kingdom to establish authority and then drag him through the victor's own kingdom so his people would no longer be afraid of the opposing king. Jesus indeed made a spectacle of the devil and all spiritual authority that sought to oppose him.
Jesus Shares His Victorious Authority With You
The phrase "raised us up together" in the following passages refers to our authority in Christ. It's not necessarily a phrase that describes our location as much as it describes our position of authority. Paul prays that our spiritual eyes would be opened and we would know who we are in Christ, including our position of authority over principalities and powers. He established the authority and supremacy of Christ then reveals that we share the same authority in Christ.
Ephesians 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and [power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
This is not describing where we will go when we die, this is describing the authority we have now. It's a statement of power and authority. We share the power of the throne, the power of the king.
In the weeks to come, I will discuss how to stand in that authority for yourself and for others. Subscribe and stay tuned.
Forward Ministries Update Fall 2021
I rarely write to you about our ministry but I felt like this would be a good time because there is so much happening. I wanted to tell you about a few things; the growth of Forward Church, our focus on content creation, working with Jim Richards, teaching at Charis Bible College with Andrew Wommack, and the increase of Forward Ministries.
Clint and Sara Byars - October 2021 in Woodland Park, Colorado
“A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.”
I rarely write to you about our ministry but I felt like this would be a good time because there is so much happening. I wanted to tell you about a few things; the growth of Forward Church, our focus on content creation, working with Jim Richards, teaching at Charis Bible College with Andrew Wommack, and the increase of Forward Ministries.
Forward Church is Growing
I’ll start with Forward Church. This month marks our 13th year as a church. Sara and I planted Forward in our living room in Newnan, GA and it has only grown from there. We’re still not a large church in regard to attendance but God has used us and the people at Forward in powerful ways. We have planted churches in Kenya, we regularly support an evangelistic effort to unreached people in Kenya, we reach thousands locally and online with the finished work message, we support local food banks and a pregnancy center, and we minister to people every week through our Sunday morning gathering, and we are equipping leaders in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5).
We are currently saving up for a building that’s large enough to facilitate the kind of equipping and training God has called us to. In addition to church gatherings, God has called Forward to be an equipping center for ministers and pastors. We have an influx of people who are called to ministry. I am busy meeting with our teams and leaders to map out clear paths of discipleship and training, so we don’t miss opportunities to launch people into their assignments. We are making new hires and shifting team members around to structure ourselves for more impactful local and non-local ministry. I love raising up ministers and pastors.
NEW CHURCH PLANT
We are planting another Forward Church on the north side of Atlanta in 2022!!! Our original location will continue to meet in Sharpsburg, which is on the south side of Atlanta. I’ll send the details on the new location soon. We are busy planning that launch, making sure it has a successful beginning. Let me know if you are on the north side of Atlanta so we can connect. We will be sending out a few current team members but God has already provided their replacements. We will have no lack in our ministry team, it’s truly the work of God in our midst.
If you don’t have a home church, you are welcome to connect with our Forward Church online community. Click here to connect.
Developing Equipping Resources
Most of you know I recently released a book titled “Who Do You Love? Discover How to Live from Purpose and Fulfill Your Call.” I also released an eCourse to accompany the book. I am already hearing stunning testimonies from the book and course. If you feel called but aren’t sure what to do, pick up a copy. Read more about the book and eCourse here.
Clint with Jim Richards at Forward Church
I am currently outlining a course on 1, 2 and 3 John. This course will be available at Forward School of Transformation, which is our learning platform.
Dr. Jim Richards of Impact Ministries is also adding this course to his international school that is being used to develop leaders all over the world. Jim has asked me to update a few of his courses so I’ll be working on those throughout 2022. Anything I produce for Jim’s school will also be available in FSOT.
I also join Jim on his broadcast from time to time. We have a Saturday morning chat coming up soon. You can find out more about Ultimate Impact, Jim’s learning platform at www.impactministries.com.
By the way, if you didn’t know, I am a graduate of Impact International School of Ministry, and I worked for Jim from 2000 to 2006.
In addition to courses, I have a few more books in the works. One is focused on Jesus’ time on the cross, in the grave, and immediately after his resurrection and ascension. I will lean heavily on the prophetic Psalms that reveal the thoughts of the Messiah while in the grave. I know it will be a blessing to you. I also have a general Gospel book underway, as well as a book on transformation from the heart. And probably one on Quantum Theory and what it teaches us about the Kingdom of Heaven.
So pray for me as I work on these materials, plus training materials for our local church. You can donate toward the production costs of these resources by clicking here.
Teaching at Charis Bible College
Sara and I met Andrew Wommack in 1997 just after we were married. He was speaking at a conference in Huntsville, AL at Jim Richards’ church. We have followed his ministry ever since then.
Clint and Sara with Pastor Greg Mohr at Charis
Last year I spoke at Overflow Conference in Florida, at Lake Haven Church, with pastors Shannon and Karin Carroll. Greg Mohr of Andwer Wommack Ministries and Charis Bible College was ministering also. He was impacted by my message, especially the sections where I walked people through my Who Do You Love process. He asked me to teach on the subject at Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado. Sara and I flew out to Colorado in late September where I had the honor of teaching the 3rd year Ministry School students at Charis.
Clint teaching at Charis Bible College, September 2021
I was told by the staff and many of the students that the class went very well. They invited me back to teach the same course next year. Greg Mohr also mentioned speaking on a broader scale in the school next time, we’ll let the Lord handle those details. I consider it an honor to teach at Charis and we will serve the students in whatever capacity we’re requested. If you are looking for a resident school to become equipped to walk out your calling, I recommend checking out Charis Bible College.
Clint and Sara with Andrew Wommack at the AWMI Minister’s Conference in 2020
Forward Ministries
We receive testimonies of healing, transformation, and personal growth from all over the world. We’re beginning to receive testimonies about people launching out into their ministries from my new book. A week doesn’t go by that we don’t receive powerful testimonies that blow us away.
Sara and I have never tried to be anything in ministry other than ourselves. We are humbled by the doors the Lord has opened for our ministry but we remain focused on our vision to build a thriving local church that reaches people around the world with the simple Gospel and the good news of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
We will continue to use what’s in our hands and be a blessing to the body of Christ any way we can. And we’ll yield to the Lord to be used to reach the unbelieving world as well.
I pray Forward Ministries is a blessing to you. We have hundreds of free messages and resources available for you to use to establish your heart in grace and your identity in Christ. I also want to equip you in the ministry of reconciliation. Whether you know it or not, you are a minister of the Gospel. You have a calling. You are valuable in the body of Christ. Don’t let your past or current struggles keep you from stepping out in love toward others.
We are with you! We are pulling for you! You can be bold and courageous because God is with you all the way!! If we can help you in any way, please reach out to us at info@forward.church or call us at 770-828-5826.
If our ministry is a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us.
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God Walks Among Us
From the beginning of time, God has desired to be with his people. He walked with Adam in the garden. He asked Abraham to build a tabernacle. He asked Moses to build a temple. And through Christ, God now lives in his people. God has always had the desire to walk among his people, enjoy their presence and lead them to be a blessing to the nations of the earth. You are the fulfillment of his desire, you are the holy nation through which he is seeking to be a blessing to all the families of the earth.
“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.””
From the beginning of time, God has desired to be with his people. He walked with Adam in the garden. He asked Abraham and Moses to build a tabernacle. David and Solomon built him a temple. But now, through Christ, God lives in his people.
God has always desired to walk among his people and bless them as well as enjoy their presence, AND lead them to be a blessing to the nations of the earth. You are the fulfillment of his desire, you are the holy nation through which he is seeking to be a blessing to all the families of the earth.
God told Adam to subdue and rule the earth. That mandate still remains, but we gain more insight into how to reign over the earth in God’s commission to Abraham.
Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God promises to bless Abraham so that he can be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. The blessing is not only for Abraham, but also for the sons of Abraham, which is those who have placed their faith in Christ.
Galatians 3:6 Just as Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
In Moses we gain even more insight into God’s desire for his people.
Exodus 19:5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Not only does he desire to be with his people and bless his people, he desires that his people be a blessing to all the people and nations of the earth. God is seeking to bless his children so we can be a blessing to the world.
God’s capacity to bless his people changed in Jesus. No longer would he be separated from his people, he could now live in his people and guide them into blessing from within their hearts.
Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The veil between God and man was torn!! We can now have direct interaction with the presence of God, before his heavenly throne, and within our own hearts.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
As carriers of the presence of God, we can experience blessing from God, exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine. Why? So the blessing we experience can overflow and become a blessing to the nations of the earth.
We carry the same message Jesus proclaimed when he announced the agenda for his kingdom in the earth.
Luke 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
We carry the same mandate; to receive the blessing of God, become a blessing to the world, and spread the good news of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which is seeking to release the captives, restore the blind, heal the sick, free the oppressed and proclaim freedom in the New Covenant that is secured in his blood.
Are you experiencing God’s favor and blessing? If not, it’s time to open the channel through which blessing flows, your heart. You can not earn God’s favor and blessing, but you can intentionally become a conduit of it. If you will walk uprightly, your conscience will be clear before him, to allow him to guide you.
And if you will intentionally become generous and loving toward people,m your heart will become more confident to receive his blessings and allow them to flow through you to others. You are a priest in God’s kingdom. It’s time to put the agenda of his kingdom first in your life and participate in the increase of his kingdom.
How do you do that? Be a blessing everywhere you go. Make it your daily goal to bless someone in some way, with the intention to make Christ known. The holy nation of God has work to do, we must be busy ministering to the nations because we are priests in God’s kingdom, equipped with his authority and his good news.
Your friends and family are starving for something that is real in their lives, give them the Gospel! Don’t be ashamed, it is the power of God unto salvation.
Take a few moments to commit your intentions to the Lord to be a blessing. Pray this with me; Father, I want to fulfill my role as a priest in your kingdom. I will be a blessing everywhere I go. Thank you for the boldness to spread the good news of your kingdom. I open my heart to be led by you into opportunities to be a blessing, as I represent your kingdom. Amen and amen!!
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Your Prayers are Powerful and Effective
Prayer is the secret weapon of the believer if done so from the proper perspective. If you pray "if it be thy will" prayers, I wouldn't expect much to happen. But if you stand in your identity and authority in Christ, you can expect to see everything Jesus paid for manifest in your life and the life of others.
You don't have to ask God to give you things he's already given you in Christ. In Christ, you have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus. Jesus bore your sickness and disease on the cross. He delivered you from the wrath of God. You have the mind of Christ so that you can have peaceful mental health. God promised to meet your needs exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or imagine. His spirit is in you, guiding you into all truth. He gives you wisdom just by asking. He has given you power to minister to others.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE
If Christ is in you, you are righteous in him. Your prayers are powerful and effective.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Prayer is the secret weapon of the believer if done so from the proper perspective. If you pray "if it be thy will" prayers, I wouldn't expect much to happen. But if you stand in your identity and authority in Christ, you can expect to see everything Jesus paid for manifest in your life and the life of others.
You don't have to ask God to give you things he's already given you in Christ. In Christ, you have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus. Jesus bore your sickness and disease on the cross. He delivered you from the wrath of God. You have the mind of Christ so that you can have peaceful mental health. God promised to meet your needs exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or imagine. His spirit is in you, guiding you into all truth. He gives you wisdom just by asking. He has given you power to minister to others.
All of these things are already yours, right now, in Christ. Plus, God already knows what you're going through before you even ask. He knows how to help you.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Not only does he already know what you need, he wants to help you.
Matthew 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
And He's willing to help you.
Matthew 8:1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
He has already given you what you need.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Jesus has given you power
I give you power, lay hands on the sick... Luke 10:19
So pray from a place of confidence and authority. If what you're praying for doesn't come to pass, stand firm and trust God. Don't blame him or concoct some mysterious doctrine that God must not want you to have what he's already given you in Christ. Don't fall for the "timing" excuse. If Jesus paid for it, it's yours. If you don't see it, don't blame him. Just keep persuading your heart until you're convinced of Christ's finished work.
I realize that's easy to say and hard to believe at times, but it's the truth. God is not withholding the things he's already given us freely in Christ. We still see problems in the world because humans introduced sin and death and messed it up. But we still have dominion over the planet so we can believe, pray, and affect the world with the kingdom of God that is in us.
MANKIND HAS DOMINION OVER CREATION
From June to July 1993, the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, experimented on the impact of prayer and meditation on the crime rate of Washington D.C. You can read the details of the experiment from these two links.
https://research.miu.edu/maharishi-effect/reduced-violent-crime-in-washington-dc
https://www.worldpeacegroup.org/washington_crime_prevention_full_article.html
The summary of the experiment is this: A group of people who practiced meditation wanted to measure the effects of focused intention on a large city. The experiment was led by quantum physicists who understand that humans can affect the behavior of matter merely through observation.
The physicist hypothesized that a large enough group of people could intentionally affect a large city's violent brain wave frequencies. So they organized an experiment to lower the violent crime rate of Washington D.C., which is one of the most violent cities in the United States.
The experiment was successful. They saw a dramatic decrease in violent crime for as long as they meditated, which was a few weeks.
If unbelieving human beings have that kind of influence over a violent city, imagine what the body of Christ can do if we were united to make positive change in the earth. But, unfortunately, we are too divided, too busy figuring out who is right and condemning those we think are wrong.
Humankind has dominion over the planet. The body of Christ has the authority of Heaven, influencing our natural dominion. It's time we use our power to influence the world for Christ. If every believer spent at least 5 minutes a day praying peace, hope, and love over our nations, we would see amazing fruit.
I go into more detail about this experiment and the power of prayer in the sermon above. I pray it is a blessing to you as you seek to exercise your authority as a member of the body of Christ.
Watch the video above for the full sermon on this topic.
Watch the Spiritual Practices and Disciplines Series on YouTube.
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Doing the Word Brings Revival
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Why be doers of the Word? Because the world is looking for truth in uncertain times, we can be examples of faith and righteousness.
Your friends and family and the world around you need to see someone who is experiencing the benefits of following God. The world needs to see our love for one another. The world needs the hope that comes from someone who inherits God's promises by walking uprightly.
You are not blessed because of your works, but your works are evidence of your faith. The world is starving for something real, and as we live well within our freedom in Christ, we become His witnesses. As we become His witnesses, we give the world around us hope. And the world is desperate for hope.
The world is confused and afraid, but they don't have to be. We have the solution. But if our relationship with Christ is not benefitting us in this life, we have some work to do. The work is to believe, to become more persuaded of the character of God.
As you do the Word, blessings will follow, and people will see that God is real in your life. Our lives can be testimonies of the faithfulness of God. You can not improve on your salvation through your works, but how you live can affect what you experience in life and bring hope to those who need God.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Do the Word, live by faith, and watch the world come to you asking why your life is different. Then you'll get to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ boldly.
Watch the video above for the full sermon on this topic.
Watch the Spiritual Practices and Disciplines Series on YouTube.
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The Spiritual Practices of Meditation and Contemplation
85% to 95% of your thoughts, feelings, and actions are the same as the day before. Ultimately we bypass our ability to think and change our lives and do what our environment has trained us to be and do. Our obligations, responsibilities, jobs, and relationships dictate our lives to us without thought much of the time. The body becomes the brain.
In other words, you become programmed to do what your external world has told you to do. And you don’t do anything else unless you feel like it. And most people don’t feel like doing much beyond what they have to do. The carnal world and desires become our default. You can retrain your mind to habitualize spiritual awareness and interaction. You can change your life and take control of your present and your future when you decide what you will think about and how you will cultivate a new future based on God’s possibilities.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true... and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Meditation is focused intentional thought. Contemplation is to consider a matter from multiple perspectives. We want to focus on God’s Word and consider the many ways His spirit can move in our lives and empower us to manifest His fruit and promises. Meditation and contemplation are not mystical exercises where you try to leave your body and travel into Heaven to have a mysterious encounter with God. Meditation is simply when you intentionally focus your thoughts on a specific matter.
Most of us meditate all the time. We call it daydreaming, worrying, or spacing out. But more is happening than random thoughts darting around your mind. You are shaping your life in those moments. You are programming beliefs into your heart. And you are creating your future. Romans 12:2 says we are transformed as we meditate or renew our minds.
The question is, on what are you pondering? What thoughts are you allowing to create emotion and beliefs? Because you will be transformed into that image, whether it's healthy or destructive. Your life reflects your habitual thought patterns, especially when you allow your emotions to be affected by what you're focusing on. This is why the Bible gives us much instruction on how to think and what to think about.
Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law or instruction always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Thoughts are not magic, they merely determine how you respond to and feel about things, which guides your choices. The goal of meditation is to expose yourself to the Word of God to the degree that you not only agree with it and understand it doctrinally, but its promises and expectations become real to you. And even possible. If you read God’s Word and feel like the promises are far from you, you have identified where you need to persuade your heart of His power and faithfulness.
Being shaped by our habitual thought patterns is easy to understand concerning worry. How much time do you spend worrying? How do you feel afterward? Afraid probably. That sense of fear created from how you were thinking will shape your decisions and even how you interpret the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life.
The solution is to meditate on, ponder, think about God's Word until it becomes believable and possible. Think about Heaven. Think about the victory of Christ. Think about God's love for you. Think about what life would be like if you were healed, prosperous, happy, and wise. Those are all things God is trying to establish in you now, so your joy may be full, and so you can be a blessing to others.
The spiritual practices of contemplation and meditation are catalysts to transformation. As we hold God's Word in our minds and hearts, His logos, His word, His logic emanates into our thinking, emotions, and choices. It's a way to reprogram our set points. “Be still and know God” becomes more than a lovely thought. It becomes a way of life to be led by God.
WHEN YOU HOLD THE WORD IN YOUR MIND AND HEART IT WILL PRODUCE FRUIT AND TRANSFORMATION
85% to 95% of your thoughts, feelings, and actions are the same as the day before. Ultimately we bypass our ability to think and change our lives and do what our environment has trained us to be and do. Our obligations, responsibilities, jobs, and relationships dictate our lives to us without thought much of the time. The body becomes the brain.
In other words, you become programmed to do what your external world has told you to do. And you don’t do anything else unless you feel like it. And most people don’t feel like doing much beyond what they have to do. The carnal world and desires become our default. You can retrain your mind to habitualize spiritual awareness and interaction. You can change your life and take control of your present and your future when you decide what you will think about and how you will cultivate a new future based on God’s possibilities.
You can discipline your mind and heart to agree with the Word of God. No matter your emotions, your feelings, or the circumstances you're in. The Word of God is spiritual and can change any circumstance. Focused intentional thought on the Word of God will produce fruit in your life. But you must allow it to create emotions and even expectations that guide you into your desired future rather than just your obligations in life.
Try it. Grab your Bible and find some good news. Focus on it and think about it until it starts to change your feelings. Then commit to believe it and live by it. Watch your life begin to reflect God's will for you. You will prove God's desire for your life through this process. His desire for you is "on earth as it is in Heaven."
I have created several Tools for Transformation that will help you focus on God's Word and cultivate the power of His Spirit in your inner man. Click the button below to browse my resources.
Watch the video above for the full sermon on this topic.
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Discipline Yourself to Pray God's Will
Prayer is perhaps the most fundamental spiritual discipline we can practice. Prayer is a conversation with God. It’s when you rent all that is fearful and ungodly from your soul. Prayer is when you set your mind of things above and allow your thinking to be shaped in the spiritual realm of God’s Kingdom. Prayer is when you let your requests be known to God. Prayer is when you contend for something Jesus paid for, whether for yourself or another person. Prayer is declaring the promises of God into your life. Jesus gave us insight into the proper inner state of prayer.
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
When we engage in spiritual practices and disciplines, we start from a place of completion in Christ. Christ has done the work of salvation. Our inner spirit man is complete already in Christ. We can do nothing in our flesh to improve our salvation, and our spirit is whole. Spiritual practices are to be actuated in our lives so we will experience the things that God has already given us in Christ on a more regular basis.
We are not trying to engage in a self-development program where we become something that we are not. Instead, we are training our mind, soul, and body to yield to our spiritual identity. You can not improve on your salvation, but you can experience more of it. Jesus paid for your complete and total salvation, but we must discipline ourselves to believe and receive.
There is no formal list of spiritual practices in scripture, only a gathering of ideas rooted in scripture. Spiritual practices vary from Bible study, silence before the Lord, generosity, service to others, giving to the poor to prayer, meditation, and contemplation. All of those activities and actions do not gain us more righteousness or make us more holy. Instead, they are either an expression of our faith or mind-renewal exercises to more deeply believe what’s already true of us spiritually.
We can be empowered in our minds, soul, and bodies from our completed spiritual state to reflect our perfected inner identity outwardly. Not to retain salvation but to express it. Not to become more holy, but to allow our holy state to influence the rest of our being. As we do so, we bear the fruit of Christ’s spirit within us, and we show the world what it looks like to yield to the transformative power of God.
The world is starving for truth. Our lives can reflect the ultimate truth, God is real, and He loves humankind. In this world, we should want to be the best version of ourselves we can be. I challenge you to aim as high as you can. You’re not striving for righteousness or anything Jesus paid for, and you are just optimizing your faculties to experience all that is yours in him fully.
Discipline yourself to break off the limitations of your old way of thinking, otherwise known as the flesh. You no longer live according to your own strength, or your flesh, you walk influenced by the power of God’s Spirit.
Living by the spirit optimizes your potential. Your potential is not derived from your flesh or your human nature, it’s derived from a divine nature, Christ in you the hope of glory. The hope of life according to the way God sees it. Therefore, endeavor to believe, do whatever you can to discipline yourself to believe. When you believe, all things are possible. Make every effort to repent and believe.
Prayer
Prayer is perhaps the most fundamental spiritual discipline we can practice. Prayer is a conversation with God. It’s when you rent all that is fearful and ungodly from your soul. Prayer is when you set your mind of things above and allow your thinking to be shaped in the spiritual realm of God’s Kingdom. Prayer is when you let your requests be known to God. Prayer is when you contend for something Jesus paid for, whether for yourself or another person. Prayer is declaring the promises of God into your life. Jesus gave us insight into the proper inner state of prayer.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
We have more teaching on prayer from Jesus here.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
This is the ultimate paradox. Believe that you HAVE RECEIVED and it WILL BE yours. The result of your prayer life should leave you believing that you have already received something. What? Everything Jesus paid for. What did Jesus pay for? That’s a good question. I suggest spending time studying atonement and what Jesus accomplished through his self-sacrificial offering. You’ll find that it includes peace, wholeness, deliverance, provision, healing, and several other things.
When you pray, pray according to God’s will as expressed in the life, death, grave experience, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. In that is the will of God for you. In that is what you can legally pray in your life. Prayer is an exercise in mind-renewal to believe that you have ALREADY RECEIVED what you are requesting from God. The prayer becomes more of a declaration of the finished work of Jesus.
When you pray, BELIEVE that it is ALREADY YOURS, and it SHALL come to pass.
I recommend taking some time to write a prayer for yourself. Include your health, finances, ministry, family, and whatever else God would lead you to include. Then, speak from a place of completion, thanking the Father for it already being yours in Christ.
Watch the video above for the full sermon on this topic.
Watch the Spiritual Practices and Disciplines Series on YouTube.
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That Your Joy May Be Full
"I am deeply dissatisfied in life."
I recently watched part of a conversation between two successful A-list actors. They were describing their fulfillment in life while acting versus their real-life. They both agreed that while they were acting, they had a sense of fulfillment they didn’t get out of their real-lives.
The male actor basically said he only feels satisfied and fulfilled when he's pretending to be another person in a world that's not real. I realize that's my summary of his brief statement, but I think there's a more significant takeaway that applies to our faith walk.
I speak with people who love Jesus but feel very dissatisfied in life. You wouldn't know from their Christian activity; how much they read their Bible and how much they give to their church, how much they volunteer. If you were to look at the list of Christian obligations, they check the box for most if not all of them. So why the dissatisfaction? Shouldn't all that Christian activity bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose?
"I am deeply dissatisfied in life."
I recently watched part of a conversation between two successful A-list actors. They were describing their fulfillment in life while acting versus their real-life. They both agreed that while they were acting, they had a sense of fulfillment they didn’t get out of their real-lives.
The male actor basically said he only feels satisfied and fulfilled when he's pretending to be another person in a world that's not real. I realize that's my summary of his brief statement, but I think there's a more significant takeaway that applies to our faith walk.
I speak with people who love Jesus but feel very dissatisfied in life. You wouldn't know from their Christian activity; how much they read their Bible and how much they give to their church, how much they volunteer. If you were to look at the list of Christian obligations, they check the box for most if not all of them. So why the dissatisfaction? Shouldn't all that Christian activity bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose?
Not necessarily. Not if that person's heart isn't in it, or they're doing those things because they feel like that's what they're supposed to do. In Christianity, if you serve, give, and do other things just because you're supposed to do them, you'll eventually want to stop doing them.
The parallel is this. Often the Christian is dissatisfied with life but feels like they're getting a sense of fulfillment when they're on stage acting like a Christian. But when they go home or into the rest of their lives, it feels empty. That leads the Christian to need their church to be exciting for them and give them a purpose. If you need your church to provide you with a sense of purpose, be careful. We are to organize and equip one another for the work of the ministry, but the equipping itself should not replace an authentic expression of ministry. Serving and being involved with a church community can be very fulfilling and rewarding if it's a genuine expression of who you truly are.
But there is still dissatisfaction even when the Christian’s schedule is booked with church programs and religious activity. When we're dissatisfied with life as Jesus followers, it's up to us to rearrange our lives to live from meaning and purpose, even in the mundane. I pray you have an outlet for your faith, and not just a stage to act on. I encourage you to serve and operate in your place in the Body of Christ. But I caution you not to let that be just a role you play.
God is not interested in your amount of activities in His name. He's interested in you being fully engaged in everything you do. Life is hard sometimes. Things happen that are so disappointing that it affects how we make decisions for the rest of our lives. We often give up on ourselves and slip into a survival mentality, believing that living a fulfilled life is not for us. While life may be challenging, we have a promise from God that our joy can be full, even amid disappointment, fear, persecution, suffering, and failure.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Jesus goes on to talk about rejection and persecution from the world. I’ve seen it too many times, people’s lives are hard so they want their Christian life to be fun and exciting to give them a reprieve from the world and its troubles. There’s nothing wrong with fun and exciting faith, but joy is a deeper sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that is spiritual and not from the world.
God wants your joy to be full. He doesn't want you to just act like your joy is full at church or in your Christian activity. He wants you to have a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose in your ordinary and extraordinary moments. That takes living with courage. Courage is not always easy. Sometimes courage is overcoming boredom and depression to connect with God in a way that transcends temporary worldly fulfillment.
Don’t grow weary my friend. The Christian life is the most fulfilling way to live on planet earth. But be careful not to simply go through the motions. God is not on trial, needing to prove Himself to you when you’re disconnected. It’s up to you to dig into your heart and stir up the Spirit within you.
It’s a paradox because the way you stir up your spirit is by engaging in spiritual practices and disciplines. But we’ve all seen it, and maybe even experienced it. These practices and disciplines can grow emotionless and mechanical if they’re not engaged in a relational context with God. Things like prayer, meditation, worship, giving, and serving. Much like life for the actor, we look for another context in which to find fulfillment.
The actor feels alive when pretending to love something in a fake context. We must not let our faith expression become a fake expression in the context of church and ministry. I challenge you to find ways to genuinely engage God on an emotional level and do ministry toward others from a sense of purpose in him, living from fulfillment rather than for it.
We can learn a lesson from Joshua who took over the leadership position for the nation of Israel.. When God called Joshua to take over for Moses, he said this.
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Joshua was facing an impossible situation after wandering in the desert for 40 years. He probably wanted to walk straight into the Promised Land and rest. Maybe kick his feet up and enjoy a church picnic. But he had work to do. Work that would give him plenty of opportunities to disconnect from the mission and retreat into his own world.
You are in the same position. You have the impossible task of representing God in his world. You are called to make disciples and perform miracles. Are you allowing church and Christian activity to replace that mission because it gives you an outlet close enough to the real thing? Or are you ready to be courageous? I can’t tell you what your next step is, but I can tell you that you need to prepare your heart. Be ready to be courageous. Make a commitment to not be discouraged.
Do you have anything to be courageous over in your life? Do you have something to live for that challenges you beyond your natural ability, causing you to depend on God's power? If not, don't beat yourself up, but begin to challenge yourself to give all of yourself to something. Don't pretend to give yourself to the work of Christ, go all in! Be courageous! Do not be discouraged! Do not be dismayed! The LORD, your God, is with you.
Watch the video above for the full sermon on this topic.
Watch the Spiritual Practices and Disciplines Series on YouTube.
Stay Connected with Me
Subscribe to my email list: http://eepurl.com/dMcXIE
Like on Facebook
Subscribe on YouTube
Become a supporter of Forward Ministries.